Food delivery box



Feb. 16, 1954 M. cURclo FOOD DELIVERY BOX Filed June 12, 1952 III IN VEN TOR.

f? TTO-/P/VEY Patented Feb. 16, 1954 f- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOODDELIVERY BX Michael oui-cio, Whitestone, N. Y. Application June 12,1952, Serial No. 293,155

This invention relates to a food delivery box.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door delivery boxwhich can be secured to a door or to a building wall for the purpose ofreceiving deliveries of mail, packages, milk or other goods or articlesand thereby eliminate the need for the person in the home or oiiicegoing to the door or to be at home or in the ofce to receive the goods.

It is another object of the invention to provide a delivery box adaptedto be attached to a door or a building wall which when not in use may becollapsed and folded to conserve space and yet when expanded is adaptedto receive large articles.

4It is another object of the invention to provide a delivery box adaptedto be attached to a door or a building wall with a foldable bottom piecewhich serves when in a raised position to hold the latch catch retractedand away from the latch projection on the door in the front of thedelivery box whereby the box door on the front of the delivery box willbe left free to be opened and at the same time the bottom piece servesto cover the opening for the box door and wherein automatically as thebottom of the box is lowered the latch catch is elevated by a spring armso that the latch projection on the door can engage with the catch andwherein the raising of the door serves to expand the parts of thedelivery box and to provide the space for receiving the articles.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a delivery box, having theabove objects in mind, which is of simple construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, has a minimum number of parts, easy to install upon thedoor or building wall, co1- lapsible and foldable to consume littlespace when not in use, efficient in operation and convenient to use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the inventionreference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a door having an opening over whichthe collapsible delivery box of the present invention is mounted;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the door and of thedelivery box in its expanded `condition with the door on the deliverybox lifted to permit the insertion of goods and the catch raised so thatthe latch on the door can be engaged thereby, the view being takengenerally on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the door and look- 2 claims. (c1. 23a-'42)ing in top plan of the delivery box shown in full in its collapsedcondition with illustration made as to how the same is expanded toprepare the box for the reception of the goods, the View being takengenerally on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a rear perspective View of the delivery box in an expandedcondition to receive goods and with portions broken away to show theinterior construction thereof;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary Vertical sectional view of a portion of thedelivery box door and the bottom swung up to the vertical position, thebox door being unlocked and lowered. the view being taken on line 5-5 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of portions of the box showingthe manner in which the door acts upon the parts of the box to extendthe same as the box door is lifted;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary Vertical sectional View of the box door havingits latch engaging the catch, the bottom plate having been lowered, andthe box door locked.

Referring now to the gures, I 3 represents a door of a household oroiiice having the usual hand knob I I for retaining the door in theclosed position. In the bottom of the door, there is cut a large openingI2 and the delivery box is connected to the inner side of the door overthe opening I2.

The door opening can be made larger than shown and the front plateattached on the front side of the door and the parts collapsible intoand out of the door opening in a manner which will be apparent as thedescription proceeds.

The delivery box has a front plate i3 which is much larger than theopening l2 of the door and through holes I3 of this plate are extendedscrews Ill which attach the box to the door Iii. This front plate I3 hasan opening it adapted to be lled by a downwardly swingable door Ilhaving a solid latch projection I and a knob 2|. The box door l'i islifted from the opening I2 to the open `position as .shown in Fig. 2 topermit the insertion therethrough of a mili: bottle or other articles inthe manner illustrated.

On the rear face of the front pl-ate I3 and laterally spaced from oneanother, are channel members 22 and 23 that are respectively notched toreceive hinges 24 and 25. These hinges are connected by fasteners 26 tothe rear face of the door.` The hinge 24 has an extension 2l and thehinge member 25 has an extension 28. These extensions 28 engage with aback plate 29 to cause its rearward movement as the box door Il islifted.

Connected to the inner side of a channel member 22 is a long piano typehinge 3| which is in turn connected to a side plate 32. This side plate32 is connected by a longer piano hinge 33 to another side plate 34which is connected by another piano hinge 35 to the back plate 29. Thesehinges and plates 32 and 34 are so arranged that the adjacent edges ofthe plates with each other and the hinge 33 can be folded inwardly topermit the back plate 29to be' moved forwardly.

The channel niernber23 at the opposite rside is connected by a hingeV315 to a side plate 31. The side plate 31 is connected by a piano hinge38 with Va side plate 39 which is, in turn, connected by a hinge 49 tothe back plate 29. These hinges and the side plates are foldedinwardly-*in tthe same manner as the hinges andfsideiplatesaatzthe otherside of the box are folded inwardly vso that the back plate 29 isshiftable forwardly atdrearwardly with the collapsing or expanding ofthe vside fplates. yIt"-wi1l fnowbe-apparent aithatwth theiexten'sions1:21 aindf fengagingvtheibacks plate 29 astheY boxdo'or il hisliteditherfbackfplate i219 -i'vill2 oe'moved" rearwardlyi andthefbox;willcbeexpanded.

-f-A bottom piece i4 l zishinge'dly connectedialong itsffcrward "edge byfspacedhnges 14:3 '5to :a supporting member"42xedfltosthefinnerzfacefithe front plate I3 and alongfthebottomfedge'ofthe opening fl6. Springhinges-PlfareSconnectdlbetween i the'-f-botto'm "'.piec'e 'TA vand' thessupporting member u1u/nich 5serve?4tofnormally lliftithe fbott'o'm 1 piece? l!v l ltoa'-'Vei-tcal'ffpOsitioniinf ront fof the opening I6 in the frontlplate.--Aslthehoxldor H 'isty lifted and?theback'lplatellisf moved?rearfwardlyfby 'tlieliinge extensions 'l2-I fandZSjtlie placing fthefrnillbottle orother-article against and upon the hinged `bottom'piece willswingdown and hold: the bottom piece' 7infahorizontal:posionland supported `'upon a shoulder fpiece V'485 which is carried by-theplatef29,

At the same time that this' bottcmpieceM is moved downwardly; a catchoperating sprin'g'arm -46 which isxed tothe'underlfaceofthe same by'screws 47 will engager w'ithfrecess- 48 of a-ver ticallyslidable catchf#Z9-'and lift the same f into'la 'position so that'thelatch"projection@i9l can ride over and depress i catch' i9 to vengagethe rear face of the same whereby the box lid or door [Twill-be held in'a lockedl position-asshown'infFigjl. As 4long` as the bottompiece 4 l isin `vertical position, the"catch'llwillnotbeengaged bythe 'springarm iS6nor held in' a raised position such that itf'can"` be engaged'b'v the'iatch'proj ection I aon'- thedo'orad thereafter'the box door l1 will beheldfreerfen- '.gagement` and so it will not "lock, It is :onlynecessary for'the-delivery man to lift the 'door and push "down" thebottom piece i and ideposit' theI milk `bottle or other articlesthereonwherbythe catch 9W/vill be an Voperative 'position soi'that upon theclosing of'theboxdoor the samewillbe locked to prevent access '"to thedelivery box-l when fit Iis supplied with-articles.

uspring arm "46 -and madeI freeofftheflatch 19"'7'0 @whereby ther'door'lL is released. Withthisref 4 fected, the back plate 29 can to collapsethe side plates. plates can be separated and the delivery box used forthe return of empty bottles. The box is thus conditioned for anotherdelivery of goods thereto. If the box is mounted ina large opening, theparts will be collapsed thereinto and be flush with the rea-r face ofthe door or wall.

It should now be apparent that there has been ,lprov-idd a "doordelivery l-box which is condi- Ltion'edvvhen empty to havefthe'doorfree' and per- Ymit access thereto and when expanded the box tis"conditioned to have the box door latched there- 'fato. fit1-should alsobe apparent that the parts are 'expanded and collapsed by rearward andforward f==rnovemfentand that the bottom piece keeps the.fshapesotthehox.when the parts are expanded.

AWl'iile Vvarious changes may be made in the detailedf--construction ofthis delivery box, it shall be understood that such changes shall beWithin ,the spiritandescope Lof thepresent invention as defined.bytheappended-claims WhatY is telai-ined is 1. .'A'delivery boxcomprisinghafront plate. havanfopening.; therein, :a backplate,horizontally ioldaloleflside plate frneansdisposedy at the oppoy:sitesides :of 'the front-and ,back plates to Yconlarxect-thesame together,tofperrnit thee-expansion and collapse of the box, a bottom piece and:rneansf forihingedly connecting'the bottom; piece .to 'lthezfrontiplateyto permit vthe same 'to VVbe svi/ung ffrom VVa down positionwupwardlyacross lthe openingiof the front ,platevandau box-v doori'hingedlyeonnected tor the -front` plate and adapted to close theopening thereof, a latch projection fon *.the fdoor, vcatch means Y"on:the 'front plate 'operable' by' the "bottom piece eas it is movedffdownto2-position the :catch means .totretain thelatch ofthe .doorwhenthe`bottom :piece is inishedown vposition :fand the :door r is closed L'an'dwhen f. the Ibottoml-piece is swung up' against' theffront; plate `towithdraw the catch lfrom'zlthe. latch :iso that fthe door is; made .Ifree for finsertion of i articles Sintofthe'boxtl'iroug-h' the frontlopening.

1 29A f delivery box fconstruction "comprising :la -'front 'plate having@an opening '.therein, azbac'k rplate spaced from the front platev and.sideeplate zmeans connecting'the front `and. 'back platesrto ^hldltheloa'clplate` spaced? from thelrontrplate, "abottompiecel'hingedlyf-connectedto the front plate and movable''betweenhorizontal-andvertifcal' -positions,` a icatch; elementfverticallylra'djust- "able on "the""ront'plate, aespring armxe'dz to the 'bottom`piece and engageable with thecatch f'eiernentf' to" liftthe catch v`element as thebottom piece -isfmovedf tothe horizontal pos'ition and Ltobia'singlyfreta'in thel catchfelementinv the lifted position; a Aboxdoor?lo-inged` uponl'the frontil )plate and having a latch projectionengageablevwith "the catch element to hold thefdoor inthezlatchedy'positionj themovem'erit of the bottom piece tothe "vertical'positionserving to release V'the box fdoor.

l IMICHAEL 'CURCIQ be moved inwardly Or if desired, the

R'eferences .Citedin' the: file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber f Name Y Date .1,014,508 `AOhlson Jan.- 9, 191-2 1-,199,581-Luckett -:Sept.-26, 1916 2,163,356 Solberg June 20, 1939

